1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a removable ice bucket for an ice making system for a refrigerator and more particularly a removable ice bucket disposable in a door of a refrigerator for use with an ice maker disposed in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator.
2. Description of Related Art
Automatic ice making systems for use in a home refrigerator are well known. Typically, ice making systems include an ice maker mounted within the freezer compartment of the refrigerator and an ice storage receptacle or bin supported beneath the ice maker for receiving the formed ice from the ice maker. The ice maker is commonly mounted within the freezer compartment adjacent the side or rear wall of the freezer compartment such that water and power can be readily supplied to the ice maker. The ice storage receptacle is supported by a shelf structure beneath the ice maker within the freezer compartment. The ice storage receptacle generally extends across the freezer compartment and has a front end adjacent the freezer door. U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,979, to Linstromberg et al. is an example of a prior art ice making system. While many such ice makers provide for removable ice storage trays, they are strictly designed for capturing and holding the ice and are not adapted to be easy used remotely from the refrigerator for serving the ice.
The present invention addresses the need for easy and sanitary delivery of the ice remotely from the refrigerator by providing an ice bucket adapted for easy removal and reinstallation and for convenient one handed dispensing of the ice from the ice bucket.
The present invention is directed to door mounted ice storage bin systems for use in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator and in particular to an easily removable dispensing ice bucket.
The present invention is more particularly directed to an ice bucket removably mounted to the freezer compartment access door for use in conjunction with an ice maker disposed within the freezer compartment.
More particularly, according to the present invention, an ice storage bucket or bin is removably mounted to the door below the ice maker for receiving ice pieces from the ice maker.
The ice bucket or bin has a first handle disposed low on one of its sides and a second handle disposed high on its opposite side to facilitate removal and reinstallation of the ice bucket and to facilitate tilting the ice bucket for dispensing of the ice. A spout is preferably formed above the second handle to direct ice cubes dispensed from the ice bucket. A release button for releasing the ice bucket from the door is preferably disposed close to the second handle to further facilitate rapid removal of the ice bucket from the door.